Japanese mandates in the Pacific Ocean

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Japanese mandates in the Pacific Ocean
Language: English
Year: 1937
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Fulltext: 6 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL January, 1937 Japanese Mandates In The Pacific Ocean The League of Nations, which was formed by twenty-eight allied nations after the Great European War, came into ex istence on January 10, 1920, through the coming into force at that date of the Treaty of Versailles signed at Versailles, France, on June 28, 1919. In virtue of this Treaty, the League mandated to, that is, committed to the charge of, Japan, to be governed as Mandates, the former German possessions in the Pacific Ocean, covering an immense expanse of sea and extending for 1,200 miles north from the equator and for about 2,500 miles east to west, and consisting of the following groups of islands, namely: Approx. Area Approx, sq. miles. Population Marianne or Ladrone Islands................................... 450 83,328 Less: Guam (the largest island in this group), ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898.............. 206 18,509 Balance of the group belonging to Germany and mandated to Japan................................................. 244 64,819 Marshall Islands.......................................................... 160 9,700 Caroline Islands.......................................................... 400 23,222 TOTAL former German possessions mandated to Japan........................................................................ 804 97,741 Population as at April 1, 1930: Japanese................................................ 21,422 Foreigners........................................ 81 Total Japanese and foreigners (chiefly in the Marianne Islands)........................................... Total native population in the Japanese Mandates.......................................'.............. 21,503 76,238 The seat of government is in Parao (Palaou) in the Carolines, and the principal resources in these mandated islands are phosphorus ores (chiefly in the Carolines), coconut and copra. The budget for all of the above Japanese Mandates, con sisting of a total of 623 islands, was balanced for the fiscal year 1932-1933 at 5,628,918 yen which, at the present exchange of approximately 28-5/8 (that is, U.S.SO.28625 per yen), is equivalent to U. S. SI,611,277.78. The circumstances which led to Japan’s coming into pos session of these islands are, in part, as follows: On February 16, 1917, at the very time when America was urging China to sever diplomatic relations with Germany, the British Government concluded an agreement with Japan, in part, reading as follows: “His Britannic Majesty’s Government accedes with pleasure to the request of the Japanese Government for an assurance that they will support Japan’s claims in regard to the disposal of Germany’s rights in Shangtung and possessions in the islands north of the equator on the occasion of the Peace Conference; it being understood that the Japanese Government will treat in the same spirit Great Britain’s claims to the German islands south of the equator.” On February 19, 1917, Baron Motono of Japan sent a com munication to the French and Russian Ambassadors at Tokyo stating, among other things, that: “The Imperial Japanese Government proposes to demand from Germany, at the time of the peace negotiations, the surrender of the territorial rights and special interests Germany possessed before the war in Shangtung and the islands belonging to her situated north of the equator in the Pacific Ocean.” The French Ambassador on March 2, 1917, replied as fol lows : “The Government of the French Republic is disposed to give the Japanese Government its accord in regulating at the time of the Peace negotiations questions vital to Japan concerning Shangtung and the German islands on the Pacific north of the equator. It also agrees to support the demands of the Imperial Japanese Government for the surrender of the rights Germany possessed before the war in this Chinese province and these islands. M. Briand demands on the other hand that Japan give its support to obtain from China the breaking of its diplomatic relations with Germany, and that it give this act desirable significance. The con sequences in China should be the following: First, handing passports to the German diplomatic agents and consuls; Second, the obligation of all under German jurisdiction to leave Chinese territory; Third, the internment of German ships in Chinese ports and the ultimate requisition of these ships in order to place them at the dis position of the Allies, following the example of Italy and Portugal; Fourth, requisition of German commercial houses, established in China; forfeiting the rights of Germany in the concessions she possesses in certain ports of China.” The Russian reply dated March 5, 1917 to Baron Motono’s Note was as follows: “In reply to the Note of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the date of February 19th last, the Russian Embassy is charged with giving the Japanese Government the assurance that it can entirely count on the support of the Imperial Government of Russia with regard to its desiderata concerning the eventual surrender to Japan of the rights belonging to Germany in Shangtung and of the German islands, occupied by the Japanese forces, in the Pacific Ocean to the north of the equator.” In total ignorance of all of the above exchanges of secret understandings, the United States, on April 6, 1917, declared war against the Central Powers, thus began helping the Allies to fight the war lor righteousness, for democracy, for a war to end wars, and for the 14 points which included condemnation oi the practice of transferring peoples and territories “from potentate to potentate as though they were chattels.” President Wilson, when asking Congress to agree to the declaration of war, said, among other things, that: “We shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion, and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and fairplay we profess to be fighting for.” It may be recalled that in November, 1915, Japan was not in favor of China joining the Allies, Viscount Ishii explaining: “Japan considered developments in China as of paramount interest to her, and she must keep a firm hand there. Japan could not regard with equanimity the organization of an efficient Chinese army such as would be required for her active participation in the war, nor could Japan fail to regard with uneasiness a liberation of the economic activities of 400,000,000 people.” The Lansing-Ishii Notes, or the so called Japanese-American Agreement, were in fact notes exchanged on November 12, 1917, between Viscount Ishii for Japan and Secretary Lansing for the United States, the result being the acknowledgment, on the part of the United States, of Japan’s special interest in China on account of her territorial contiguity. (Please lain to page J6‘) IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 46 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL January, 1937 Japanese Mandates... (Continued from page 6) Japan started the Manchurian incident on September 18, 1931, resulting in the creation of the puppet state ot Manchukuo. The Lytton Committee was appointed by the League to investigate the Manchurian matter the report on which Japan refused to accept and she announced her resig nation from the League of Nations on March 27,1933, effective two (2) years, that is, on March 27, 1935. Though Japan has ceased to be a member of the League of Nations, she has refused to surrender the administration of the mandated territories back to the League. In view ot the commitments of the Allies to Japan, as contained in the fore going exchanges of secret diplomatic correspondence, it is not clear how the League (which is practically in the hands of the same two or three nations above referred to) can, without em barrassment, compel Japan to give up the Mandates. Japan has formally denounced the Pacific Treaty, otherwise known as the Washington Naval Treaty or the Quadruple Entente, so that it expires on December 31, 1936, together with the London Naval Treaty. The Pacific Treaty was sign ed on December 13, 1921, by the United States, Great Britain, France and Japan in the Pacific or Washington Conference which was called on November 11, 1921 by President Harding of the United States, in the American capital, for the main pur pose of disarming the great naval powers. Various Far Eastern questions were brought up in the Conference, but the main point in the Treaty finally concluded is the mutual re spect of their rights in relation to the insular possessions or dominions in the Pacific Ocean. While the Philippines is under the protecting wings of Uncle Sam, no nations have yet seen fit to announce that the Philip pines is within their lite line. Will such nations have the same feeling or state of mind if, after the ten-year transitional period, the Philippine Commonwealth attain its independence, or will the Philippines be able to muster enough "steel throats” (as the British say) to speak so eloquently as to discourage such feelings ana the threat ol serious consequences adverse to the Philippines? The Philippine Guaranty Company, Inc. (Established in 1917) Phil. Army. . . (Continued from page 9) that such a thing has never before been done elsewhere and that in all likelihood it could not be done here in the absence of a similar experience from other nations.” The Santos plan predicates that occupational and military training can go hand in hand. Each model farm is to be comprised of truck gardening, plant nursery, poultry and hog raising, fruit tree planting and other farm enterprises depend ing upon the topography, climate and soil condition of the land available. President Quezon’s reservation of public land in Mindanao for the Philippine Army—128,081 square meters at Barrio Central, Davao—may contribute to this project. If competent agricultural instructors are available and receive commissions for such instruction, as well as necessary appropriations for equipment, a wave of vocational education such as was never accomplished by the Bureau of Education due to its limiting of agricultural schools may prove a per manent economic benefit to the Philippines. The return of the first 10,000 trainees to the soil after 5-1/2 months’ training will prove or disprove the efficacy of this method. Other possible benefits outlined by Major-General Santos are the availability of a disciplined force in typhoon and flood disasters, their services at times of locust infestation, their action during plague and epidemic, their adaption of hygienic and sanitary habits. Not the least of immediate benefits to industry has been the requisitioning of equipment in accordance with the Nepa movement. Too, this has meant a saving in expenditure. The following table demonstrates. Foreign product ™ • Iron beds.............. Felt hats.................. Woolen puttees. . .. Woolen blankets. . . Mosquito bars........ _ __ It is said that on 12 items consisting of clothing and equipment, the ordering of Philippine products has meant a savingof al most a million pesos. Initial purchases for the first 10,000 trainees alone will boom Philippine industry. Under the Santos plan, to which there seems to be no greater obstacle than the reluctance which, among conservatives, attends any experiment, the trainees return to their commun ities as efficient producers and not burdensome idlers. Philippine product Native beds............ P7.49 Guinit hats............. .78 Local cloth............. 1.20 Ilocano blankets (notquoted) Native nets........... 1.80 SURETY BONDS— We execute Bonds of various kinds, especially CUSTOMS BONDS, FIRE ARMS BONDS, INTERNAL REVENUE BONDS, PUBLIC WORKS BONDS for Contractors, COURT BONDS for Executors, Administrators and Receivers and BAIL BONDS in criminal cases. FIRE INSURANCE— In the Philippine Islands. LOANS— Secured by first mortgage on improved properties in the City of Manila on the monthly amortization plan. Phone 2-41-11 Second Floor P. O. Box 128 INSULAR LIFE BLDG. MANILA How a Newcomer Looks... (Continued from page 28) federal securities act of the United States have been confronted with this as well as many similar problems, 'the interpretation of various parts of the act has taken considerable time to work out, however, the administra tion of the act is gradually becoming more simple. The Philippine Islands Act should be handled more easily and efficiently because advantage may be taken of the experience of the administrators of the States Securities Act. Please keep in mind that in making the above criticism of wild-catting in the Philippine Islands and its control by a properly administered Secu rities Act, that the same criticism might be offered in some degree of any so-called boom mining camps that I have ever seen. In all such camps there has been an unusually large amount of money raised through the side of stock to the public much of which money has been wasted either through expenditure on properties of no value or through very large over head expenses. Further, we must not overlook the fact that while much of the so-called wild-cat money is deliberately thrown away, there is a portion of it spent on what might be termed marginal properties, those which offer a bare possibility of favorable development. Occasionally, a real mine is opened up and in some eases the productive area of otherwise worked out mining districts has been extended and become of major im portance. The problem, of course, is for those in authority to administer the securities act in such a way as to prevent as near as possible the wasting of the investors’ funds. Mining is a business and should be conducted as such; it is not a game as it is so often called. It is of necessity a somewhat hazardous business and requires specially trained men to manage the affairs of a mining company. Too often, companies are organized and officers elected who have through their success in other lines of business become prominent. These men permit their names to be used as officers of the companies without first having made any investigation of the properties owned by the company or subsequently arranging for both capable engineering advice and manage ment of the company’s affairs. If these men would use the same business ability which was responsible for their success in other lines of business, in first, making an investigation of the mining properties and second in the selection of capable management, there would be many less mining failures. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL